SMRT given B grade by CEO Desmond Kuek

SMRT CEO Desmond Kuek wants to achieve a "zero defect" attitude to regain public trust in the company.

Giving his assessment four months after taking on the role, Mr Kuek gave the public transport operator a B grade in reliability and availability

He also gave SMRT a B+ in carrying capacity, compared with other international transport operators:

"As a company what we are committed and determined to do is to get to an A or an A star if you like soonest and certainly over the next few years. Over the past couple of years, the company has got through a couple of bad patches, as a company we have resolved to learn all those past mistakes and we will benchmark ourselves with the best in class in the world."

Mr Kuek laid out his vision and goals to the media today.

He said SMRT aims to place commuters first and enhance their travelling experience.

Another key priority - to boost operational performance by ensuring the system is safe and reliable.

Mr Kuek says SMRT will not de-emphasize its commercial aspects which generate more than 50 per cent of the company's profits.